In the Quarter of the Negroes
Where the doors are doors of paper
Dust of dingy atoms
Blows a scratchy sound.
Amorphous jack-o’-Lanterns caper
And the wind won’t wait for midnight
For fun to blow doors down.
By the river and the railroad
With fluid far-off goind
Boundaries bind unbinding
A whirl of whisteles blowing.
No trains or steamboats going–
Yet Leontyne’s unpacking.

In the Quarter of the Negroes
Where the doorknob lets in Lieder
More than German ever bore,
Her yesterday past grandpa–
Not of her own doing–
In a pot of collard greens
Is gently stewing.

Pushcarts fold and unfold
In a supermarket sea.
And we better find out, mama,
Where is the colored laundromat
Since we move dup to Mount Vernon.

In the pot begind the paper doors
on the old iron stove what’s cooking?
What’s smelling, Leontyne?
Lieder, lovely Lieder
And a leaf of collard green.
Lovely Lieder, Leontyne.

You know, right at Christmas
They asked me if my blackness,
Would it rub off?
I said, Ask your mama.

Dreams and nightmares!
Nightmares, dreams, oh!
Dreaming that the Negroes
Of the South have taken over–
Voted all the Dixiecrats
Right out of power–

Good morning my lovely and faithful readers. Can I just say, I love the fact that you enjoy reading, period. It has truly become a past time, *le sigh* any hoo.

I know my publishings have been few in between, but I am working on bringing new pieces of the vision to the puzzle and am diligently working at not being a procrastinator every day, to keep the gears moving consistently.

So, know that I am dedicated to this wonderful site, which has brought me to connect with other fellow readers and writers, visionaries and Go Getters.

I gather inspiration from what you all publish as well. Thank you for being great references.

I pray whatever is within your vision, is within your will to create it.

Karen Civil is truly an inspiration for the Go-Getter at heart. She worked her way from an intern, under the tutelage of Funk Master Flex, and is now her own boss as a connector of branding and promoting artists within the ever diverse and ever-changing modes of the music industry.

At a time in her life where most people are beginning to grasp their exact grind, Civil has landed, moon-walked and raised her flag.

I have danced to your song “Hot Nigga.” It’s on my iPod and I love when it plays. What does this mean? It means that I enjoy a catchy beat, a nice flow and even better, a fun dance to complement it. However, for a while, I didn’t know that you were rapping about murdering people. I was simply lured in by your beat, flow and dance alone. The lyrics were dissonance: mere noise that did not register in my mind. Though mainstream rap is often frowned upon, not all the time am I compelled to listen to politically conscious music like Common and Mos Def (though I adore them both, and also have them on my iPod). Sometimes I want to simply hear a beat, hear some words that flow and dance without digesting or internalizing the lyrics. However one day…

Flyy Girl Feature: Morisha Danee, The New Voice of Feel Good Music Pt. 2

HeyGirlHey!!! is back with a brand new Flyy Girl feature as well as the second part to the Exclusive Morisha Danee debut feature.

In editing this piece, I made notice that Morisha Danee wrote (I) in the lower case form throughout the entire questionnaire. I figured, she did that for a reason, it means something. And ac tually it helps to the (I) not seem so prominent within the sentence, it paints a better cavas on the screen. Catch that! Get deep with it one time!

So, lets share that.

A special thank you goes to each and every one of you who came onto the site Tuesday and this entire week, and showed so much support in viewing the debut for Part 1 The New Voice of Feel Good Music!

We had over 100 views, which was our biggest feature article to date!

#heyygurrlheyy Approved

Today is a round of 21 questions, well maybe not literally but HeyGirlHeyy!!! got Morisha to open up about how she views being an independent artist, featured artist on BlackandSexytv, being compared vocally and becoming a Grammy winner.

Morisha Danee Part 2

How long have you been creating music? What was the very first song you wrote and did you record it?

I have been creating music since i was able to write complete sentences that made sense. so i was at least 8 or 9. The very first song i wrote i honestly can’t remember. I always wrote poetry with the intent to turn them to songs, but never did.

So im not sure of my very first one. I guess further down the line Favorite Fantasy,was the first.

Give us a quick history of Morisha Danee, the artist.

Morisha Danee` came about in 2006 when i really tries to go hard in the indie world of music again. It’s always been just me! I discovered that girl again in 2011 before i put my first 7 Song EP out ThisIsMePart1Mellow

I see you are currently working on a new album, what are some of the sounds you are experimenting with?

Lyrically, are we in for new topics and point of views or can we expect more lovely songs like Attention and Keeper?

YES! NEW TOPICS!! This album is very positive and encouraging, it has some love, some hurt, some vulnerability and empowerment! Some personal experiences and some that’s not! But i hope people dig it just as much as Keeper and Attention.

While we are on the subject of “Attention” please tell us the inspiration behind that dope ass song.

You would have to ask the guy who wrote and arranged it. My old friend and schoolmate Rafael ” Felly The Voice” Ishman. I just added a few ” Morisha Danee ” touches to it here and there lol. He sent over a couple dope songs and i picked that one because i felt it. I’ve lived with feeling that way being that i am a lover not a fighter. I wanted to give my audience some versatility and didn’t want to collab with just anyone. I knew felly was perfect and he believed in me as well to deliver his song. So that s how Attention came about.

Are you looking to remain an independent artist or are you looking to sign with a major distributor?

What are some of the pros you experience being an independent artist, that you wouldn’t have as a mainstream artist?

Yes i am looking to remain Indie! I’m so not interested in ” major labels ” because they take away from whats original. Plus why not have my own power. I have total control, that’s why i love it! I can give my Morishafans the real me, unfiltered, verses being mainstream. You have to be what they want you to be, do what they want you to do or they gone drop your ass for the chick that will be ok with whatever. So indie it is for me!

What is the ultimate goal of your music career?

My ultimate goal is being nominated as Best New Indie Artist or Best New Singer/ Songwriter. i would literally cry my eyes out lol.

What would you say are the essential basics for maintaining a fruitful music career? (being able to profit from your work)

The best way to profit from your work is making sure everything is legit so far as copy writes and publishing and of course making sure you have some sort of distribution, promotion, marketing, etc.

Introduce us to your teammates, the people who help you build and maintain the Morisha Danee brand.

Honestly i built the Morisha Danee` Brand by myself…People who help with the sound is none other than my good friend/ drummer Carlton ” Bigcee ” O’neal. He produced Keeper and few others and is also the producer of the majority of my new project im working on now that will be available some time in 2015. He gives me that original sound i want and helps me make a lot of decisions when i don’t know the answers. He’s a lot of what you see visually behind the scenes of Morisha Danee` The Brand being that i have no manager yet. We making it do what it do… no excuses lol

I must say, had it not been for Black&SexyTV, I may not have heard your music. How did you originally team up?

I kind of stumbled on Black and Sexy TV one night surfing the internet. An old friend of mine had posted a status on Facebook about the show and it just caught my attention. I knew it had to be independent because it was on YouTube. Well i support indie so i decided to check it out. I fell in love… I had just found my new favorite shows. I noticed all the great music on the episodes and wondered if they could help me. So i took a risk and sent Dennis Dortch an email introducing myself and my music and what i was trying to do. I was shocked to find out that he responded and loved my music. He let me know that he would love to help and the relationship grew from there.

We overtime developed a relationship along with his woman Numa Perrier. Often sharing text and phone calls about how thankful i was to them because they helped me get to where i am now. I will always feel like i owe them the world for that. They welcomed me into the black and sexy tv family after i tweeted them that they were gonna have a hard time getting rid of me lol. They made no hesitation to let me know they were not trying to get rid of me. Jeanine Daniels did the same and everyone That Guy. We have not yet met but when we all do, it will be natural bond i believe. Life long relationship.

Your music seems to be a perfect fit for their programming. Have you been approached to guest star on Hello Cupid?

I have not been introduced to hello cupid stars. Can’t wait till that time comes tho… seems like fun ladies

Are you a thespian as well? If so, what types of movies would you be drawn towards?

No i’m not an actress, even tho i would love to act one day. I would love to do movies like Love Jones and Brown Sugar

I noticed your resume boasts an impressive skill set; singer/songwriter/arranger/producer…how did you become confident in putting the pieces together to create such warranted sounds?

It just comes natural. It’s in my heart.

While researching your music, a lot of people are comparing your sound to Tweet/Faith Evans/India.Arie. Where do you draw your musical inspiration from?

Tweet is my favorite singer so i can see why people would make that comparison. My lighter notes come out song bird like so i guess that’s why people would say that, i feel my voice is raspy other times. Faith… i love her so i cant get mad at that comparison lol. My musical inspirations are none other than Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Donny Hathoway, Brandy, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, India Arie, Lauryn Hill, Jazmine Sullivan and Prince.

What are you currently playing on your playlist?

My Personal Favs Playlist Repeats

KING

Gwen Bunn

Alex Isley

Foreign Exchange

Lianne Lahavas

BJ The Chicago Kid

Jazmine Sullivan

Be sure to buy the EP This Is Me Mellow Pt. I, while you await the new album This Is Me Part II, on itunes, googleplay, Amazon and also Bootcamp.com

Two thousand ten brought about a change for so many lives, one life in particular was to be changed forever on a fateful day in Mississippi, a miracle would take place. A miracle that would set forth motion for a renewed beginning.

The rebirth of Morisha Danee, The New Voice of Feel Good Music.

Morisha Danee is a risk taker. The first time I spoke with her, I could feel it. Anyone who offers natural hair care advice to a complete stranger, is a risk taker. Morisha herself has been au natural for about a year and half now. Although growing up she longed for straight, pressed hair, she is thankful for the texture of her crown.

My mom was pretty old school, she’d say, straight hair for a young girl made her too grown. She laughs.

We began to make conversation and she reveals that why school is never out of the plans, she chose not to go in that direction initially after graduating high school.

Right after graduating school, got married. I mean right after, and then had my son. I just kinda went in a different direction once moving from Chicago. But I had options. There was Julliard School of Performing Arts, and Columbia University in Chicago…I just didn’t go, but I can always go to school. If I decided that I have done what I can with pursuing a music career, I would like to be a music teacher.

Morisha grew up in a household of older parents, so for her to have such a mature spirit at 27, is to be expected. She is the youngest of four. One older brother and two older sisters. The age gap is quite substantial to say the least.

My brother and oldest sister are a pretty good deal older than me. My second sister is kinda closer in age to me. She’s in her thirties. My dad is 69. I have old school parents.

She laughs

But I am also family oriented and my family are my favorite people.

When Morisha was around fourteen or fifteen, she signed to a major record label. Although signed for a year, she didn’t put out any music, because she was having a hard time getting out of the gate. The record company’s mission and Morisha’s vision were not aligning.

It was a horrible experience.

Says the singer of her time signed to Epic/Sony Records.

I was signed there for a little over a year.

What I thought: was great! These people are giving me the opportunity to put my music out and reach people. What it was: Selling sex. They wanted me in belly shirts and short shorts. They wanted me to sing about experiences and situations, I was not comfortable singing about and I was too young to sing about.

I was young. Fourteen, fifteen. I wanted music for my age group. Sing about stuff that mattered to me that I felt other people my age would relate to.

When asked on how she feels about people who go along with the image of the record company, Morisha responds,

Sellout. A real artist should want to give the fans who they really are. Instead, you are left to sing songs which have no personal connection to, because you aren’t able to contribute to the writing process or the composing of the song. And then they say, I want you to show me more booty. I want you to show your breasts more. You don’t need to know how to sing, we can make you sound good. You just stand there and be sexy.

She continues.

I never want my fans to question my authenticity. I write music with people in mind who enjoy all the pieces of the song. The track, the production, who mixed it, who mastered it. I like to work with the same circle on my projects. That’s what I want people to connect, when you hear a song like “Keeper” you know that’s Big Cee.

Big Cee is Morisha’s band drummer. One of the songs off her upcoming album [the follow-up to her EP This Is Me Part 1] entitled Billy Joe, is a song the two collaborated on.

Any woman could relate this song to their specific man. I draw my inspirations for my songs through observations of life around me. And however I feel will produce the music I create; different feelings equal different music. The idea of genre placement does not fit me. I draw from the 50s with a lil’ jazzy, hip hop and R&B sound. I want what I create to sound like me.

When asked how she begins to create the framework of her songs, Morisha replies,

For Billy Joel, I wrote the song with a melody in mind and I sent it over to Big Cee and he created around what I initially laid down. I enjoy the effect of using live instruments. It produces the kind of music that will last a lifetime. Live music helps to create originality.

And Morisha’s story is quite original. The songstress almost never sung another note; she was involved in a serious car accident, which left her voiceless.

I stopped singing some years before the accident. I was 18 when I moved from Chicago, and I didn’t begin to sing again until I was 23, the same year my neck was broken in a car accident…. I was scared to death. I couldn’t sing. I could barely talk!

Looking in the mirror, I would sit back and just cry, thinking to myself, my voice cannot be gone. How could I not have the choice to sing again? I thought, because I did not use my gift, God took my voice away. I just did not know what to do.

She chuckles.

My voice was weak once I started using it again, but I was happy that it was not gone. Grateful that it wasn’t over for me as a singer. I worked hard. I sung every single day. And from that first day out of the neck brace, I vowed to never stop singing, and I haven’t since.

Morisha wants her fans to know just how much their support means to her, that the music she puts out, how they receive it and relate the lyrics to their experiences, has her filled with gratitude.

Love my fans! If I could spend personal time with each fan, I would. The fans think I give them what they want, but the fans give me what I need. I appreciate the support they give me to do what I love. It has been journey that has taught me that; time, prayer and effort, will take me far, I have to keep motivating myself.

And we, the fans, will be ready to cheer you on.

Stay tuned for: Morisha Danee Part 2! Q &A This Friday as part of the Flyy Girl Friday Feature